CoinDesk Podcast Network Trump Tariffs Send Bitcoin Lower to $66K | CoinDesk Daily
Feb 23, 2026
Trade-war tariff news rattles markets and pushes Bitcoin down to about $66K. U.S. searches for 'bitcoin zero' spike as retail anxiety climbs. Experts debate quantum computers threatening Bitcoin keys and how engineering fixes might respond. Vitalik sells portions of ETH to fund open-source development, with details on amounts and remaining holdings.
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Trump Tariff Shock Drives Crypto Fear
- Trump's new 15% import tariff triggered sharp market reactions that spilled into crypto.
- Bitcoin plunged to $64,481 after the tariff news and Google searches for "bitcoin zero" hit a record 100 in February.
Whale Selling Amplified Weekend Crash
- Market volatility included reports of massive whale selling that contributed to Bitcoin's weekend whipsaw.
- By Monday morning Bitcoin was trading just below $66,000 after dropping to a $64,481 low.
Quantum Risk To Bitcoin Keys
- Quantum computing poses a theoretical risk to Bitcoin's elliptic curve keys and roughly 7 million coins could be vulnerable.
- Experts disagree on timing, saying upgrades can mitigate the threat without drastic governance changes.